These Masks We Hide Behind
by Neecha
Summary: (AU) (Based off of The Man in the Iron Mask) 5 slayers. 2 lords hungry for power. 1 hanyou locked away in a cell. The Shikon-no-Kakera, Tetsusaiga. All are doomed....(BETTER SUMMARY INSIDE)
1. Thunder

::dodges rotten fruit:: GOMEN!! Forgive this lowly Neecha! I will continue on my Red Eyes story soon enough. Right now though…I need a break from it. And so, here's my newest idea that I think you will enjoy.

SUMMARY:

They're the best you can find, when there's a youkai to slay. Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo make up this extraordinary team. However, they are also the assassins for the ruthless lords over their village, the ice-hearted Sesshoumaru and the vile and sneaky Naraku. On a quest to free their village from their reign of darkness, they stop at nothing to free what once was theirs. However, their only hope resides inside the castle's dungeons: to free the hanyou brother of Sesshoumaru, who has been locked away inside his mind for too long a time…(AU) (Based off of the novel: The Man in the Iron Mask) (Standard Parings)

NOTES:

(-----------) SCENE CHANGE

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Thunder boomed in the night sky as rain washed away all impurities from the ground. Rain, which was welcome to the farmers in the area who's crops had been spoiling, seemed to taunt the five travelers who sought their way to a dry and warm abode. Consisting of two women, a man, a two-tailed fire neko, and a teenage kitsune youkai, the group used their clothes as a barrier from the freezing rain.

"As usual, fate has thrown us out with the rubbish. Cursed rain will never let up at this rate," came the mumbling of the man, who wore a Buddhist attire, that of a monk. He looked annoyed as his soaked black bangs fell into his dark eyes, shadowing his line of sight.

"It'll let up soon, Miroku, but cursing at it won't help us out at all," came the worried reply of a woman who carried a huge boomerang over her head to shield herself from the rain, who's long brown hair wasn't faring any better than that of Miroku's own.

"Yeah, Sango's right. Besides, a little rain once in a while is a good thing!" chirped the second woman, wearing white and green miko's robes, who let her hair become wet with the rain.

The kitsune youkai huffed. "Kagome, we're in the middle of a thunderstorm. This isn't a very good thing."

"Shippo's right you know," Miroku said, nodding his head to remove his bangs from his face, "we need to find some dry place before we drown."

Kagome sighed. Her friends didn't seem to see the beauty in the rain like she did. "I know, I know. We're almost back to the village. I'm sure we'll stay for a while."

"Unless Naraku and Sesshoumaru want us to slay more demon villages for them. Then it'll be rain, rain, and more rain until we've killed them all." Shippo sighed in sadness about their last assignment of slaying a hapless village of old and orphaned dragon youkai, who couldn't fight as well as they could. The kitsune sighed once more before looking at his sword. "How many do they have to kill before the whole youkai races bows down to them?"

Sango, seeing their young friends inner battle with his emotions, replied to his woe. "I don't know. But I'm sure we'll stop them soon. Besides, Kirara's still hurt from that last battle." Sango nodded her head to the neko in Shippo's arms, who looked dazed with fever. "They'll have to let us stay for a while so she can heal."

"Speaking of which, did she manage to get that jewel sliver from the elder dragon?" Kagome wondered out loud.

Miroku nodded. "I have it with me. I wonder what Naraku and Sesshoumaru want with these Shikon jewel shards…"

"You're guess is as good as mine is." Kagome squinted for a minute, looking ahead. "I can see the castle walls beyond those trees. We'll be dry in no time. All we have to do is cross the bridge and go through the forest, then we can all retire to our beds."

"If there was a bridge anymore," came the worried voice of Shippo. Looking at the gorge with the simple rope bridge poles on either side of the gorge, anyone could see that lightning had set the bridge ablaze earlier. All that remained of the structure was a few smoldering ropes and wooden tiles.

"Fate has yet again cursed us…"

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Inside a dark castle's walls, the storm could not wage its fury as it had with the slayers. However, it howled and roared to be let inside, making the castle's stone halls eerily cold and chilling. The painted scrolls depicting gruesome battle scenes and youkai warlords seemed to glare in the light of the many torches lighting the castle interior. Stumbling down the halls was a toad-like youkai, eyes bulging with terror that made his way to a dark throne room, with no torches to light the bloodstained walls. The youkai humbly bowed down to two dark figures that occupied the two thrones.

"My lords," it croaked in its hoarse voice, "your assassins are trapped behind the gorge, as the storm has burned down the bridge."

"How quaint. Is that all you report to your lords, Jaken?" came a deep, cold voice, which could either woo a woman, or emotionally crush an enemy. The toad, Jaken, gulped and bowed down to his masters once more.

"No, Lord Sesshoumaru, there is more…by my spies' information that they have gathered, the dragons from the east village near the mountains have surrendered their shard to our power, and you assassins have it in their inventory." Jaken's voice was soft with fear.

"Jaken, you know that it is I, not your Lord Sesshoumaru, who deals with Shikon shards." This voice that spoke next had more emotion in his voice, but it too was deep, and it seemed to plot in its own mind. "But tell me Jaken, how many shards did our side recover?"

"Only one, my Lord Naraku. Please forgive me, I knew I said there was more!" Jaken groveled to his masters while on his knees. "My spies, they informed me wrongly! Please show mercy on me!"

"Jaken, to your feet," was Sesshoumaru's reply. Jaken, gulping with fear, stood onto his feet, not looking his masters in the eyes. "We will let you go this time. But, you shall no longer be in charge of our spies." Jaken gulped, fearing his punishment. "Instead, you will give up your position. You shall now watch over the dungeons, and our women slaves." A set of cell keys was thrown to the ground. "If you fail us in this, you will lose your life in battle. Is that not mercy enough?"

"Yes, my lords…" Jaken bowed and took the keys into his hands. "I will not fail you in my duties again…" Jaken then bounded out of the dark room, to his new duty as cell-keeper. Naraku nodded in the darkness.

"Kagura…" he called. A woman with red eyes walked in, a fan in her hand. She bowed to the two, with more respect than what Jaken had shown before.

"You beckoned my presence, my lords?" Her voice was rich and beautiful, matching her looks and her wardrobe. If a man would have looked beyond her beauty, one could see that she was a foul woman with no desire to have the company of a male, husband or otherwise.

"Yes. You will now take your place from guarding the Tetsusaiga to watching over our assassin 'friends'." A round bees-hive was tossed to her. She caught it, waiting for further instructions. "Use the insects inside as scouts. They are loyal, and require no food, drink, or rest. You will also be in charge of the spies. Make sure that our slayers get here within four day's time."

Kagura bowed gracefully to her lords. "As you command, Lord Naraku." She then turned and exited the room, leaving her lords to themselves.

Sesshoumaru turned to Naraku. "Do you think it wise to leave the Tetsusaiga unattended? You know that it's the only thing that can stop our forces."

"Sesshoumaru, you know as well as I do that none of us in this whole castle and village combined can call on the power of that sword. It also pushed youkai away, and ningen cannot make it transform. The only one that can do that is locked away in the dungeons for life. You're the one who put him there."

"It is also necessary to keep it from being stolen. It would put me at ease if someone was guarding it with their lives." A flash of lightning lit up the room for just a second, showing the cold yellow eyes of the inu-youkai Sesshoumaru staring at the dark eyes of Naraku. Naraku chuckled for a moment.

"Of course, of course. I'll send Kohaku to guard it."

"I wish a demon to guard it as well. Kohaku is but a human, even if you do control him."

"Overly protective of your father's great fang? Very well, I will send that wolf youkai, Kouga, to also guard it as well. Is that enough to settle your fears?"

Sesshoumaru glared at Naraku before standing up. "This Sesshoumaru fears no man, beast, demon, or dream." He walked out of the throne room, his fur pelt swishing with his movements. When the inu-youkai had retired, Naraku spoke into the darkness.

"Whatever you say, Sesshoumaru. You do indeed fear nothing…"

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Jaken mumbled to himself as he made his way out of the women slaves' rooms, making sure that each had their needs and that they were indeed there. However, the youngest slave of them all, a young black haired girl about six, followed Jaken out of the room.

"Rin! Back to your room!" Jaken scolded the child. Rin, with her eyes wet with tears, fumbled with her words.

"My…my Lord Jaken…I'm…scared of the storm…"

"Insolent wench! To your room!"

"My Lord-"

"Rin, I said to your room!"

Sesshoumaru happened to pass on the two as he walked to the finer side of the castle. He stopped and looked to his demoted servant.

"Jaken." Immediately the little youkai looked up. "I want you to take care of Rin personally." Jaken was about to protest, but kept his tongue in check as his lord spoke again. "Take her with you while you check the prisoners in the dungeon. After that, tend to her nightly needs."

"But my Lord!" he rasped, "She is but a lowly servant! Why must I watch over-"

"Jaken…"

The toad backed away, now silenced by the icy stare from Sesshoumaru.

"Jaken, this is part of your mercy. Do you wish for me to kill you here on the spot instead?" Jaken shook his head. "Then tend to her. You will do this every day." The inu-youkai then walked down the hall and into his keep. Jaken looked at the beaming Rin.

"Cursed child…follow me Rin."

Jaken led Rin to the lowest part of the castle, farther than she had ever gone. The rain from outside leaked into the walls, creating a damp, cold air that chilled her to her bones. She looked around at the floor, seeing rats dart from side to side from un-repaired holes in the gray walls. Torches, still burning despite the dampness on the walls, showed a slimy moss growing in the crevices of the stone bricks, some with vines growing across the gray stone. The pair made their way to a cell gate, where many torches stood. Jaken took out his keys and fumbled with them, trying to find the correct key for the door lock.

"Master Jaken? Who lives down here in these cells?" Rin asked, suddenly hearing the echo of a tormented scream. Jaken replied without much care.

"Criminals, prisoners from wars…" Rin didn't understand. He sighed and tried again to explain. "Bad men and demons that have broken the rules and must be punished." Jaken found the right key and opened the cell door with a loud creaking of the rusted metal. He put away his keys and grabbed a torch to light their way.

"I heard that a hanyou lives down here as well. Do you know about him Master Jaken?" The toad looked at Rin. She continued when she received no answer. "He was thrown down here when he was a child by Lord Sesshoumaru. I've heard the women say that he was as ugly as one could see, with long fangs, unkempt claws and bulging yellow eyes. They say that he was thrown down here because he slaughtered the whole house and nearly killed Lord Sesshoumaru! And now, he lives down here until he passes away…" Rin then huddled close to Jaken as he prepared a boat to row across the river that flowed under the castle.

"Rin! Why do you stay so close?"

"What if the hanyou is still alive down here, Master Jaken? What if he escapes and tries to eat us?" She followed Jaken onto the little boat and sat down as Jaken rowed the boat to the dungeons.

"I've not seen him myself, Rin, but the guards keep all prisoners in check. I'm sure that he won't get out, if he's alive that is." Moments later, the two arrived to the banks of the dungeon's floor. Stepping out, Jaken made his way to the nearest guard.

"Have all been accounted for?" he asked.

"Yes sir. Two died today and were thrown to the fires."

"Have they been fed?"

"Yes sir. All but the hanyou. He doesn't eat that much down here…" The guard began to laugh to himself. "Besides, he's not supposed to be fed by us…that's your job." Jaken began to curse to himself. Grabbing the food the guard gave to him, he took Rin to the very end of the dungeon.

"Master Jaken, I'm scared!" Rin grabbed Jaken's free hand in fright. Jaken shook it away.

"Hush Rin!" He placed the food into a dish and slid it into the spot where food went. A dark shadow in the cell yelped when the dish hit his body. Rin whimpered in fear and hid behind Jaken.

"I'll show you what he looks like Rin," said Jaken as he went back a bit and found a lit torch. He came back and waved it to the cell door. Rin was amazed at what she saw.

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He shuffled to the farthest corner of his cell when his dishpan hit his sleeping body. Scared, he looked to the two forms with sleep still in his eyes. There was a child, and a youkai looking back at him. The child seemed amazed at what she saw, but was then dragged away. He heard the toad say "Rin, that was the hanyou, Inuyasha," before the youkai dragged the child away.

Inuyasha…Inuyasha…indeed that was his name. He had almost forgotten it. Some time inside a lonely cell was enough to make anyone forget. With his sickly amber eyes looking past the darkness, he saw his food tray full. Starving, and with his belly aching, he pounced on the scraps of food the maids threw away from when they prepared meals. Rotten or not, all went into his mouth, dry and unused for almost sixteen days.

His hair was tangled, dirty, and matted. His skin was as pale as anyone could get. However, he didn't look like a normal person. Being a hanyou, half youkai and half ningen, he possessed some features that belonged to his inu-youkai heritage. His hair, if it was washed correctly, would have been a most stunning white, instead of the dull gray it was now from having so much dirt in it. He also had no human ears, but instead had white pointed dog-like ears, which swiveled to hear every sound. He had claws that were mistreated as much as his hair. All he had to cover himself from the rain that flowed in through the hole in the roof of his cell was a pair of red baggy pants and a white undershirt, the actual shirt long gone. His attire looked too small for his body.

After licking the remnants of his meal from his dish, he stood up and held his hands up to gather rain for his drink. He pondered to what that toad had said his name was…Inuyasha. He was Inuyasha…brother to Sesshoumaru…and the rightful lord of the castle above the dungeon…

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I like reviews…so review and tell me what you think of the story!


	2. The Mask I Fear

I didn't get as much reviews as I thought I'd get for the last chapter…I'll have to change the summary on this then. I don't own anything but my sanity…ah crap, I lost that too!

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"Just our luck about the bridge..." Shippo mumbled to himself. Kirara, resting in his hands, mewed in pain as a raindrop fell into the open gash on her foreleg. The teen kitsune mumbled incoherent words to the injured fire neko as he used the sleeve of his green shirt to cover her. Sango, worried, stopped and fell back to have a look at the tiny youkai.

"She looks like she's running a fever…we better stop at this village ahead."

Miroku gave a sad chuckle. "If we aren't run out of it for working for Naraku like the last time, then yes, let's do that."

"I know this village up ahead," Kagome said loudly over the boom of more thunder, "I trained to become a miko here. I know they'll let us in!"

Sure enough, Kagome was right. The village looked a bit more welcoming to them than what they were used to. Despite the dirty walkways and the smell of farm animals, the place looked comfy, even in the storm. All the villagers where nestled inside their homes, waiting the storm out.

"So far, so good. Kagome must be right about this place, huh Sango?"

"Houshi-sama, think positive before I use my weapon on you…"

Ignoring the spat between her peers, Kagome knocked on the side of a wooden hut, with a woven mat for a door. Immediately, an old woman wearing red and white miko's robes came to the entrance. Her eye, there was only one, the other was covered up with a patch, looked at Kagome with a mix of surprise, and happiness.

"Kami above! I thought I'd never see the day you came to visit this old woman! It is a joy to see you. Come; come in from this wretched weather, you and your friends. Come, come!" Despite her poor age, her smile was as youthful as a girl who had lost her first tooth. The group obligated themselves to walk into the warm hut. It was tiny, but it looked comforting all the same.

"Pardon me, elder miko," Miroku said, twisting the rain from his locks, "are you the one who trained Kagome to become a great miko?"

The old woman smiled again. "That is true. Let me introduce myself to you. I am the miko, Kaede. What brings the lot of you out here in this terrible storm?" Kaede took some tea from a pot and poured it out for her weary guests. Each took a cup and sipped it, warming their chilled bones. However, ashamed emotions washed over each youthful face in that hut.

"You shouldn't really ask…we aren't exactly fighting on the side of good at the moment," Sango mumbled, her eyes staring straight into the fire. Flames flickered in her saddened eyes as a low rumble of thunder passed over each other's ears like a mother's gentle caress.

"Goodness, why do you say that? Tell me your troubles, young ones. I will not judge you." The elder miko waited eagerly for the truth to be told. Kagome coughed, clearing her throat.

"Well, it's very complicated, Kaede…"

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He hated this. He hated his life, and his life's duties as of this time. He was an ookami prince, the best of the best. And yet, here in this dreary castle, he was nothing but a slave forced to fight in battle, and guard treasure when at peace. How he had even agreed to this proposition brought by those swindling scumbags, Naraku and Sesshoumaru, was a mystery. He had no knowledge of agreeing his life for the freedom of his pack. Somehow, he had. And he hated it.

He was Kouga, a young ookami youkai from the mountains. But months in enslavement had changed his scrawny, yet muscular body into one that had been forced to become stronger to survive. He was pale, making his black hair stand out even more that it used to when his skin was a tanned sea of flesh. He glared at his captives with blazing blue pupil-less eyes, angered with many sessions of torture. A guard whipped his back when he struggled against his bonds. He doubled over in pain.

"Get up, pathetic whelp!" The guard's whip lashed across his back again, leaving another open wound to join those trying to heal. Kouga wouldn't allow himself to utter one sound of pain, instead letting his mouth open and shut with silent yelps. The guard lashed at his back until the ookami was numb with pain. Annoyed, the guard kicked Kouga violently in his ribs, sending him flying into the wall.

When he showed no sign of disobedience to the guards, they made their way into Naraku's personal weaponry, where mythical weapons from enemies defeated hung as a sick reminder to those who had died wielding it. Kouga gazed at the weapons, making a mental note to come here when an escape was successful. They passed through this chamber until they arrived in a room with only one weapon.

It was encased in a simple wooden sheath, a dark brown with some type of oak or pine in its design. The handle itself looked rusted and unkempt, the ties around it frayed and gray with age. It was surrounded by what looked like a blue demon's barrier, preventing any with youkai blood from coming near. A boy, about pre-teen age, sat in battle-armor with a blade in his hand. The guards threw the ookami to the ningen boy's feet.

"Kouga will help guard Tetsusaiga, Kohaku. Your lords wish him to help you." The boy, Kohaku, nodded his head from where he stood, his eyes blank and emotionless. Kouga had a feeling that this ningen was being held against his will, as was he.

The guards left, locking the demon-proof doors behind them. Kouga still attempted to break down the steel doors, pounding hard on the metal surface. He tried, and tried, and tried until his knuckles and hands were bruised and bloody. He growled in a primal state, and then kicked the doors in frustration. His actions only caused a small dent in the metal doors. Finally too sore to continue pounding on his only way out, he sunk down to a sitting position, facing the one weapon in the room.

Tetsusaiga was what the guards called it. The ookami was confused. Why would they leave one of his power and a subdued ningen to guard a piece of scrap metal? Just what exactly did this rusted sword have that made it have a room of its own? And why did Naraku and Sesshoumaru leave it to rust away? These were answers he didn't know…

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His cell was wet and damp, chilled with cold air. This was one more thing that made his life miserable. Loneliness and hunger were the worst points in his life. They drove him to near madness. Voices he could hear in his head because of the silence that surrounded him. Hunger gnawing at his frame day after day, threatening to devour his insides to maintain the nutritional needs of his body. The filth and rot hung in his sensitive nose, dulling his senses and making him sick to his stomach. How had he come to this?

The laughing and cheering of the guards drove his attention away from the miserable things in his life. Cautiously, he crept to the bars on his cell door and peered past the darkness with hanyou eyes. He could see what was happening, but barely.

Sometimes, when the guards had nothing to do, they'd take out starving, dying prisoners and pit them against each other, the prize either a full meal or sweet mercy of a cold dagger. Inuyasha himself had been in many of these brawls, fighting tooth and claw for that full meal. He didn't like to fight human prisoners, but it was a survive-or-die situation. His mouth began drooling when he spotted what meal they could win today. A fresh kill of a bull cow, still bloody and raw from the slaughter.

Inuyasha rattled the bars on his cell, his eyes wanting and lusting for that meal. He didn't care what he'd have to do to get it; all he wanted was a full belly. The noise of the bars attracted the attention of two guards, resting a few cells away from his. The bigger, more muscular of the two walked in front of the hanyou's cell, his sword drawn.

"So, you want that rotting carcass, huh hanyou?" the guard gruffly said, a devious grin showing rotten teeth. Inuyasha rattled on the bars again. At this action, the guard gave a hearty and amused laugh. "Well then, let's sees how you can do against these jewel thieves, hanyou!" Inuyasha growled in a feral manner, his youkai blood boiling to taste flesh again. He backed from his cell door, growling in frustration as three guards with youkai seals bolted into the damp cell, pinning Inuyasha to the ground.

Even with his youkai blood, malnutrition and weakness had taken their toll on his strength, not allowing his body to push the ningen off. He growled, baring his fangs as he felt the taught rope around his wrists, binding back his eager claws. Another rope slipped around his neck, as a sort of leash to restrain the desperate prisoner. These he could stand, he could break these and destroy all around him. But then, they pulled out the last restraint.

He feared it. His body froze as a thinner guard came out with it in his hands. Struggling, fear engulfed his yellow eyes, begging for mercy. Not this! Anything but that nightmare, that thing that haunted him in mad sleep.

At first glance, it looked like a normal mask that one would see a person imitating an inu-youkai in a Noh theater. It was white, with many designs on the face imitating battle scars and blood. The eyes had been cut out; as to use the actor's real eyes instead of painted eyes. The fangs were real fangs taken from dogs that had perished, all painted with random patterns of red dye to imitate bloodstains. In fact, it was a pretty plain mask indeed.

But Inuyasha was not an actor, and this was no normal mask to be used on a stage. Inside the mask were patterns of different enchantments, all glowing as the mask inched towards Inuyasha's fearful face. Each enchantment etched in the wood would slowly ebb his ningen blood away from his mind, leaving behind a terrible monster that dwelled inside the hanyou's mind. Inuyasha feared his youkai self, what it could do, and what it had done before. He pleaded and screamed for mercy as the mask was placed over his face, the enchantments burning his skin with their spells.

His yellow eyes were the only things that the guards could see as he writhed in agony to free his face from the mask. The muscular guard held the hanyou's head down as they tied the mask behind his head, sealing it with a binding enchantment, so Inuyasha couldn't untie it. Inuyasha kept crying out in pain, his bound hands flailing desperately to remove the offending mask. But, just as it had done many times before, the mask won over the hanyou and let his youkai self boil to the surface.

Red eyes with blue pupils replaced the normal yellow ones Inuyasha had a few seconds ago. He growled in an animalistic way, no longer the way he had growled as a warning. He sounded like a true animal, ballistic and hungry. The guards held him back as they picked him up, his feral sounds making them wary.

"Easy men, don't let him fool you. Don't let go of him until we get him to the thieves. Keep that mask on him the whole time." The smallest guard said, holding onto the rope around Inuyasha's neck. Once they reached a deep pit dug out with a cell door on top to prevent any escape, they quickly removed his bonds and pushed Inuyasha to the bottom. Inuyasha howled in glee as his claws reached out to the nearest ningen, tearing his eyes from their sockets…

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"It happened after I left to become a miko for another village. Naraku attacked my village, raiding it and taking women for himself. I tried to stop him, but I wasn't powerful enough. He captured me and forced me to work for him, so he would stop slaying the village I was in, which included my family. I met Shippo on my second trip to the kitsune kingdom on the mountains two day's travel from here. He was the son of the leader, and Naraku forced my party to take him as a hostage. That's how he came to be with us."

Kaede nodded, a grim look in her eye. Miroku took this chance to take voice to his part of the story.

"Naraku was once a good friend of my family, a good man. Then he met the inu-youkai, Sesshoumaru, and something clicked in his mind. My father and grandfather tried to talk some sense into him, but he killed them off. He took me in and placed a kazanna curse on my right hand." Miroku held up his hand, gloved and beaded. "I have to keep on payer beads Naraku gives me, or I'll be sucked into my hand. The spell lasts for a few moon phases, but I need to keep going back to keep the spell on the beads firmly. I can't run away, and I have to serve his wishes, or I can never avenge my family."

Sango's turn to speak came. "Naraku was a once a good man, as Miroku said. My brother and I used to slay youkai for him, the ones that threatened his home. I don't know what happened when Sesshoumaru came to his castle, but he was no longer the man we once knew. He stole my little brother Kohaku away, and brainwashed him. Now I have to serve under his rule in order to get my little brother's mind back, and to see what happened to the man we used to know as Naraku."

Kaede's old face frowned in sadness. "You have been through a lot of pain. I understand know. I will not judge…but I will ask what you are searching for."

Shippo pulled out the pouch from Miroku's robes. He took out the fragment and held it out. "Naraku and Sesshoumaru want these Shikon no Kakera to make a complete Shikon no Tama. We have to search through demon villages for these against our will. This one came from the ryuu village under the snow pass, the one with elder and sick demons. We don't yet know why they want the Shikon no Tama, but we can't ask. This last battle our fire neko, Kirara, got poisoned. Kaede-sama, can you heal her?"

"Of course. Tell me, what to you plan to do to stop this Naraku?"

Kagome look saddened. "We…we don't know yet. Why?"

Kaede came back with medicinal herbs and treated Kirara with gentle care. With the neko taken care of, the elder miko began to tell what was on her mind.

"There is a way to defeat them. Have you heard the story of Sesshoumaru's little brother?"

"Wait, Sesshoumaru has a brother?" came Miroku's confused question.

"Yes, a brother equal in power but not equal to him in blood. Inuyasha was his name, if I can remember. They shared the same father, but not the same mother. You see Inuyasha is a hanyou instead of a full youkai, as Sesshoumaru."

"Hanyou? Half ningen, half youkai, am I correct?"

"Yes, Kagome-san. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru used to rule the western lands together after their father died. This was only because of a magical item given to Inuyasha from his father, though I don't know what it was. Sesshoumaru couldn't harm his brother, nor could Inuyasha harm Sesshoumaru."

"But I thought that youkai kill hanyou offspring? Why did he live?"

"That was thanks to their father's mortal wife, Inuyasha's birthmother. Sesshoumaru had to listen to his stepmother, even though he hated hanyou and ningen all together. Inuyasha's mother protected the life of her son until she died, about 60 yrs ago. I wasn't alive then, but my grandmother was, she told me the tale. Anyways, Sesshoumaru then fought Inuyasha and won over his brother, and cast him away into the dungeon of his castle. The magical item Inuyasha had could somehow destroy legions of youkai in a single try, but Sesshoumaru was angered to find it had a barrier on it to keep youkai blood from touching it. Ningen can't call upon the power, either, so it could only be used by those of the hanyou race."

"Well…why are you telling us this, Kaede-sama?"

"Because I think that's your best way to defeat Naraku and Sesshoumaru. Somehow, that magical item Inuyasha had makes those two very uneasy, so they locked it away from the world. You need to free Inuyasha from his dungeon and return that magical item to him, then see if he'll help destroy Naraku with you. I'm sure he wants revenge on his elder brother."

Sango scratched her head. "This Inuyasha couldn't have survived all these years in a dungeon…he has to be long dead!"

Kaede shook her hand. "I wouldn't put it past Inuyasha to give up on life that easily. I know which castle he's in too…it's the one about three days from here, the one with the black roofs-"

"Kaede, that's Naraku's castle!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Well, you better see about getting him out. I'll aid you to become partially free from his grasp…I can make a new set of permanent prayer beads for your kazanna, and send messengers to your families and the villages to abandon once he finds out you've betrayed him…leave that shard here, so Naraku and Sesshoumaru can't get it. I'll take care of your little friend as well…in fact, I think I have some method of travel to get you there faster, hold on…"

Kaede placed Kirara next to the fire and walked out the hut into the rain. She returned several minutes later, with a raccoon-like youkai next to her.

"A-a-are these the people that n-n-need to go to that castle?" The demon stated, shivering a bit in nervousness.

"Indeed, Hachi. They're going to stop Naraku and put an end to these dark times. Will you take them?"

Hachi nodded. "I'll take them as far as I can go, which is about a mile away from the castle…I-I-is that alright with you?"

Miroku nodded. "Most youkai can't even come that close to the castle without them knowing it…we thank you for your kindness, Hachi-sama."

"Please…just Hachi…I don't like the formalities." Hachi walked outside and placed a leaf on his head, transforming his body into a yellow, serpent like demon. "Everyone on, last call!"

And with this they were off, off to save Inuyasha and to stop Naraku once and for all…

-----------

The mask was off. Blood stained the ground, his lips, and his claws. Mangled ningen bodies surrounded him, their haunting eye sockets staring back at him, crying tears of blood. He was huddled as far away from the carnage as he could go, shivering with fear and disgust. He rocked himself as he tried to rid his mind of the sound and sights of the ningen as they pleaded for their lives…

The cow carcass fell down the pit, landing next to a ningen with no jaw. The guards laughed at the hanyou's fear and shock. Inuyasha didn't even hear them. He didn't want to hear them. He closed his eyes, trying not to envision what his youkai side had done to these poor, hapless men. He had wanted to fight for the food, but not like this, no, not in this way. He didn't want to kill those men; he didn't want to lose his self-control like that. Now he reeked with their blood, he could still taste their flesh in his mouth. He wanted to throw up.

Inuyasha couldn't handle it. He heard the voices in his head begin to scream and call him monster, to yell at him for not doing away with his life. He cried out and held his head in pain, muttering for them to stop. His ears pounded with his imaginary voices, angry and lashing out at him. He lay down on his side, hands over his ears, eyes tightly shut. He wanted it to end; he wanted it all to stop. He wanted to see one of the only people to ever love him…

Kikyo…

-----------

It's getting there, don't worry, Inu fans! What will happen next? Review and I'll get to work on the next chapter soon!


	3. Memories

I take it that those who have read it like the story? Good, I work hard on it.

Quiet Escapist: Well, I'm very, no, extremely flattered that you think my grammar is very well written. I'm actually failing my English classes right now…eh he…

The rest: Well, I'm writing more, so keep on reviewing! Neecha likes reviews, yes she does…

() Means an author's note will be included down at the bottom.

-

Sesshoumaru wasn't one to sit inside a dreary castle all day. Unfortunately, the storm outside seemed to wage war with the youkai's desires. If the storm were an adversary, Sesshoumaru would add his head to the trophy cabinet in the main chamber. But nature isn't a tangible foe, thus Sesshoumaru's claws were forced to remain peaceful. He had been pacing around the interior of the castle, even going as far as the servant's quarters. Few dared to stand in their lord's path.

Pleased with his fearing audience, he left the shuddering maids to their laundry, with one less mouth to feed. His claws were tainted with a noisy maid's blood, one that the proud youkai would not stand on his outer appearance. With his white fur swishing behind him, he stole off to his private chamber.

Once the sticky red substance was removed from his digits, he turned to his window, with rain running down the glass. What the face didn't show, the eyes did. Sesshoumaru's cold, merciless eyes were no longer their. If possible, they had been replaced with lonely, broken eyes. What was it about these stormy nights that he hated so much?

"Father…" The youkai lord's deep, emotionless voice echoed along the stone interior. A low rumble of thunder sounded off a few moments after his voice. Now he remembered…he now knew what it was about this storm. It had been a stormy night, not as mild as the one raging outside now, but a storm nonetheless. The arrival of that…that thing that had ruined it all…

-

The Inu no Tashio walked into the dining chamber, his flea advisor jumping and skipping along to keep up with his lord. Sesshoumaru, younger but looking no different, also walked by his father's side, tall and proud. The future Inu no Tashio had a sort of snobby smirk on his complexion, different from the cold-hearted youkai that he would soon become. All three youkai sat down at the table, across from ningen.

Ningen didn't bother Sesshoumaru. Ningen were allies in time of war, but he wouldn't want to become deeply involved in their affairs. Youkai and Ningen weren't exactly friend or foe, but they had never had a problem before. That was…until the death of the Inu no Tashio's late wife, Sesshoumaru's mother. No one could figure out how the mistress of the land had perished, and blame had passed between the two races. The war negotiations were being held right at that moment, in the very room that Sesshoumaru and his father occupied with the Ningen party accused of slaying his mother. The smirk on his face was backed behind with the though of what his father would do to these lowly Ningen if he found out that they were responsible.

"Twenty-two years have passed, Jintu. You and I both know that continued warfare is useless until we sort out the truth. Now, I sit here, a respectable being, and wait for your testimony. I can tell if you're lying or not, Jintu, so let's not bring your tall tales into my chamber."

The Ningen warlord bowed his head in respect to the Youkai warlord. He coughed, and gave his speech.

"Inu no Tashio, we've been good allies and even better friends to you and your troops. Why would we have attacked, and even killed your mate? Do you think us mad?"

"No, no, that isn't what I'm passing judgment for. Your men…some seemed to have talked about tayjia before, so that they could hire them to eliminate my family and take my wealth. Are you sure that you know of no one who could have actually done this?"

"I would have told you and taken these men into private discussion, you know that. What gave you that idea anyways?"

The youkai's voice became low, as did his facial expression. He threw a white pelt onto the table, a white dog's pelt. Jintu took one guess as to what it may have belonged to.

"My mate's name has been dishonored, as mine had been. To take the life of my lover, then to **dare** give me her pelt back, that is the true reason to why we are here. Now Jintu…tell me again your story. Keep honest, and I can guarantee your life to be lived out to old age."

Jintu, as the man's name was, bowed his head low. "Good friend…it was indeed one of my men that called upon the slayers' services." Sesshoumaru's father's face became grim and angry, but he allowed Jintu to continue. "I am no longer the leader of my own army. My brother has been on the throne for all of these warring years. He was the one to order the murder of your mate. It was he whom sent her pelt back to you. But that doesn't make up for what my former people have done to you. I have been a dishonored man, my lord. I cannot do a thing but beg your mercy." Jintu then got up from his seat and bowed down fully to the angry lord in front of him.

Sesshoumaru's face was in disbelief. How…how dare this…this dirty Ningen come into his household and announce that he was a part of his mother's death! He stood to kill the traitor, but his father placed his arm out in front of him.

"Sit down, Sesshoumaru. This is not the place nor the time for bloodshed."

Furious, Sesshoumaru sat back in his seat, his long claws waiting for the chance to strike the man down. His father looked down at the groveling Ningen.

"Jintu…I am ashamed for you. But, even though I cannot truly blame you for her death, your villages shall have to pay the price. My sentence for you and your people is this. You are to send the fairest maiden, unmarried, to me. She must be deemed as the most beautiful woman of your people. She will stay with me permanently, and she will be allowed little contact with her family members. I will wait two week's passing before I change my mind and send my troops into your villages."

"…Yes, Inu no Tashio…we will have your new maiden to you in the time allowed. Thank you…" Jintu got up and began to walk out the doors.

"Jintu…" The Ningen looked back at the youkai lord. "I'm sorry it had to turn out this way between our people, Jintu. You may go." The Inu no Tashio stood and waved his hand to the doors. Jintu took a bow of respect before exiting the youkai's abode, to inform his lord of the negotiations. Sesshoumaru's father turned to his son, a hint of anger in his eyes. Sesshoumaru himself rose from his seat, emotion strong on his person.

"You let the traitor get away! You just let him walk out!" He yelled at his father. The lord wasn't threatened by Sesshoumaru's outburst.

"I'm just as angry as you are!" He bellowed back. Sesshoumaru became quiet. Inu no Tashio continued. "You know that I love your mother more than my own life. I wanted to kill him to, but spilling more blood will just continue this war. It would be pointless to just kill him. What good would come of that, tell me!"

"Revenge!"

"You are wrong, Sesshoumaru. If I killed Jintu, someone would try to kill me in revenge. And if I were to die, you'd continue the bloodbath until both families are wiped from existence. Sometimes, peace is the better path. I've taught you this more than anything else." He put his hand onto Sesshoumaru's shoulder. "I'm saving both families shame. Your mother wouldn't want her son to be like this. You need to help me in these times…I won't be Inu no Tashio forever. You will someday take my place. This is just one of the many hard decisions you'll have to make in your ruling days. Do you somewhat understand?"

Sesshoumaru did not look at his father. "Yes sir. I understand." His father removed his hand.

"Good. Come now, we need to give your mother's remains the proper respect that she deserves." Inu no Tashio then took the pelt of his former mate and held it close to his chest, silently grieving. Sesshoumaru followed his father out of the chamber, brooding over his father's words.

It was a few days later, after the negotiations had revealed stunning news. Sesshoumaru sat with his father in the throne room, waiting to see whom Jintu's people had sent. One woman walked up, young and graceful. Of course she was Ningen, but her beauty was of divine spirits. Her hair was long and pitch-black, the exact opposite of the white-haired youkai she stood before. Even her steps were long and graceful, as if she were walking upon a soft cloud. Sesshoumaru cocked an eyebrow at the Ningen beauty, a bit stunned by her looks.

Inu no Tashio seemed to not be bothered by her pretty face. "State your name to your new lord," he calmly ordered, his voice loud enough to just barely echo off of the walls.

She bowed down to them both. "My name is Izayoi. My former lord commanded me to come here as of the peaceful negotiation rules. I am here to serve you in any way you deem me fit." Izayoi continued to bow down.

'She'd more than likely be a concubine to my father, if anything,' Sesshoumaru thought as he watched her rise from her bowing state. Inu no Tashio rose up and began to walk to her.

"Indeed your beauty has outdone even youkai queens," he stated as he cupped her face in his clawed hand. She made no move to tear herself away from him. Instead, a wave of fear washed over her as her eye caught a glimpse of the dangerously sharp nail next to her eye. Inu no Tashio caught onto this very easily.

"Izayoi-sama, you have no need to fear me or my family. You are here as a permanent guest, and you will be treated as such. I will give you what you wish. You need not do anything here."

"…I am grateful, Inu no Tashio."

A rare smile, which was rather small, raced across the lord's lips. "Please, it would be best to call me by name. Touga is my name." ()

"Yes, Touga-sama."

Sesshoumaru's young mind raced with thoughts. His father never gave his name to Ningen! Even worse, she wasn't to be a new servant, or even a concubine! She was to be as an equal! The young inu youkai said not a word as he slipped away to his private chambers.

A few years had passes since Izayoi had arrived. Sesshoumaru began to become weary of the Ningen woman's actions when it came to his father. She was allowed to sit with them at mealtimes, to walk around in expensive kimonos, even to have her own servants! It was an outrage! His father was treating Izayoi like…like his mate.

No, he dare not think it. No Ningen woman could even be enough to please the heart of his father. Sesshoumaru, even though he told himself that this was not to be, was proven wrong. Izayoi had more than once been stolen away to his father's sleeping chamber, for far more than talking. He was no imbecile! Dare he say it? Was his father…in love with her? Or was he merely pleasing his desires? This woman, from the band that killed his first love, was this woman to become his relative?

Stormy weather. That was the first thing to be remembered. It was the day that Sesshoumaru last spoke to his father with emotion in his heart. The youkai lord went to his son's room, a now normal smile on his face. Sesshoumaru hated that smile, but said nothing to displease his father.

"Wonderful news, Sesshoumaru! You will soon have a mother again!"

'No…'

"Izayoi is to become my new mate."

'No…'

"Now we are a whole family again!" The youkai gave a hearty laugh.

"No." Sesshoumaru's voice was icy and cold.

Inu no Tashio stopped laughing. "What do you mean?"

"No. I won't allow you to bond to a _Ningen_."

"Sesshoumaru, you know that you aren't my father, you are my son. You should respect my wishes with full pride."

"You want to become family to someone who killed mother?" Sesshoumaru asked, high tension boiling in his blood.

"She didn't kill your mother."

"But she's a Ningen, a lowly creature unfit for you!"

"Watch your tongue!" Inu no Tashio's voice became loud enough to silence his son. "You will not disrespect my new mate, nor will you think any less of her. She will be treated as I would to be treated if I am away. Do you understand me in full?"

"…" Sesshoumaru said nothing, but he walked past his father. Being too angry to even speak, he trudged outside, into the storm.

-

It wasn't long after that until…he…was born. A mixture of two races was what he was. He was a mongrel, impure and weak. He could even be called the runt of the litter. Sesshoumaru could never figure out what had overcome his father's mind at the time, to even consider making his pure youkai line filthy with the likes of a son as that. But still…he loved his youngest son, and was perhaps a bit too tender with him.

"Well, Inuyasha, tenderness has brought you nothing, now has it?" the youkai lord pondered out loud. "It taught you to become soft and unable to handle yourself. Well, if you are alive down there, perhaps this will teach you that only those of us who have worked hard can expect to become strong."

-

"Where could those hunters be?" Kagura asked herself as she sat underneath a rock as she waited for the worst of the storm to pass. She wrung the rain from her hair, which was not the only place on her body covered in water. Her kimono was drenched, and the white fabric showed her skin. Luckily, her undergarments covered up her indecent parts.

"It was foolish to come out myself in this weather…" she mumbled as she gave up her futile attempts to dry herself. Slumping down, she sighed.

"It was foolish to even take the job…I would have been much more comfortable inside the castle…" Her complaints were cut short when a Siamyosho insect buzzed behind her, seeming to appear from the storm. The spy's wings buzzed about collected rain, once again soaking the wind witch in rain.

"Ugh! Incompetent idiot!" Her anger caused the insect to flutter backwards just a bit. "Never mind…what news do you have for me?" As if speaking in an understandable tongue (), the Siamyosho fluttered about, buzzing in different tones.

"Interesting…" She flipped her fan out, trying to rid it of collected moisture. "I'm sure that Naraku will find that very useful…then again, he doesn't have to know about those hunters…

-

NOTES:

() Touga was the name that they were going to use for Inuyasha's father in the 3rd movie. That was the name that they referred him to. But, in the final script for the movie, they ended up cutting it from the movie, and used Inu no Tashio, which means "Leader of the Dogs." It isn't an actual name, but it is a title that many of us modify to suit his namelessness.

() I don't know about most of you, but I sure can't understand how Kagura and Naraku understand those oversized honeybees! Oh well, I guess that it's all part of the evil villain effect…you know, every evil villain I know has an evil pet, whether or not it be a cat, dog, or a bird. I guess that Naraku was stuck with the bees after he picked the short end of the straw…

Thanks for all of the (ahem) shortage of reviews, and I hope to see more. (hint to all of you out there)


	4. Titles

Well, I hope that all of the Sesshoumaru fans out there got enough of the fluffy-ness! I actually like writing in his perspective…oh well. I think that we all need to see what's going to happen to our heroic friends rather than going backwards into flashback chapters. Now…onward and forward! Take down the Orcs and go onward to Minas Tirith! (Neecha can now be seen playing Legolas and Gandalf on her PS2) Curse those Mumakil!

He was finally away from the savage playground that he had constructed with his own claws. He didn't have to look into eye-less sockets staring back at him with ruby tears. Safety was found in his cell, where the guards had thrown him. But in his own mind, he was being bombarded with cries of innocent men, women, and even children as the cruel monster that lay dormant in his heart cut them down.

"S…stop…stop!" He whispered, unable to take the self-hatred he felt. A thousand imaginary hands seemed to lash out at him, demanding justice. In his delusional craze, Inuyasha thrashed around in his cell, crying out like an injured animal. Long endless nights alone without someone to call a friend had driven him into similar states, but it was worse when his imaginary attackers demanded blood.

His yelping caught attention of his prison-mates and guards. Some of the newer guards looked fearful, while the oldest guards shook their head in pity. Not all of the guards there tortured the hanyou, but they didn't stop the others from doing so.

"What's the matter with him?" one of them asked.

"Madness. When someone's tied up all alone and tortured to the pits of death, insanity is the only way of self-salvation. He's spent a lifetime in that cramped cell, a ningen lifetime at least. He's been this way ever since I've been here. Sometimes I wish that he could see the sun, just for the sake of his half ningen nature."

"Bah, you're too sentimental to be a prison guard! That thing there isn't ningen like us! That's what happens when you let a courtyard dog get near a desperate woman!" Most of the guards laughed heartily at this cruel joke.

"Yeah, he's right!" a short guard said. "That thing in there is below us! Hey, watch this!" He took a rusty spear from one of his fellow guards and jabbed it at Inuyasha, causing the frightened hanyou to yelp and scream as what to him looked like a snake-beast snapped poisonous fangs at his neck. The short guard laughed. "See? Cries out like an animal, this one! No harm in teasing the little doggy, now is there?"

Soon, most of the guards had joined in on their merriment. Inuyasha thrashed about as many different creatures that would never exist attacked him. In reality, it was all a bunch of sticks and spears, ones that he could have easily broken. The newer guards soon learned how their anger could be taken out on their prisoners. After Inuyasha had finally claimed sanctuary in the back of his cell, they left him alone. He panted, cut and bruised.

"K…kill…" In the darkness, his yellow eyes glowed red.

The blasted ningen boy wouldn't talk! Silence drove the ookami's mind to the turning point of mental awareness and back again. In fact, Kouga had counted all the cracks in the stone on one wall, and then saw the difference of the cracks on another wall! This silence was not going to last any longer, that was Kouga's doing.

"So…why are you here?" Kouga gruffly stated. No answer.

"Got anyone outside the castle? Friends, relatives…enemies?"

No answer. "Forget it, I'd have a better chance talking to the sword!" With a huff, he turned and faced away from the young boy.

"I don't know."

Kouga turned and faced the boy, confusion in his brow. "Beg pardon?"

"To your first question, I don't know why I'm here," came the boy's young voice. It sounded younger than Kouga guessed the boy's age to be. "To your second question, I have no family, friends, or enemies."

"Oh…" Odd was this form of talk. "So then, now that we've conversed, introductions are in order. What is your name?"

With his empty eyes pointed to the youkai, he stated simply: "Kohaku."

"Well, that's a strong name for a boy." Kouga then pointed to himself. "Kouga, leader of the mountain ookami, prince of ookamis."

"Titles mean nothing in this place." Kohaku, in his simple voice, spoke again. "Be it a king or a servant, Naraku-sama and Sesshoumaru-sama diminish them until they are the lords of the land. Just as you are now sitting here guarding a sword with a ningen boy, you too have lost your title. Now what do you call yourself?"

Kouga nearly spat at the young ningen. "I am the price of ookamis, and I will always be. Just because I'm captured in the heat of battle doesn't make me any less than what I was! You'll see; these two cowards will perish in flames!" He stood up and charged at Kohaku.

In what seemed like a blink of a ningen eye, a bladed chain cut the flesh of Kouga's left arm. Falling back in unexpected pain, he looked to the young ningen with hate at the blade at the end of the chain fell back into Kohaku's hands.

"I speak only the truth, nothing more. I am no more of a person than you or the dogs outside that keep us at bay." He sat back down, chain clunking to the floor. "Right now, our only titles are that of protecting Tetsusaiga."

"Tetsusaiga?" Kouga questioned with a bit of hate in his voice.

"The sword."

With that, Kouga's mind was then surrounded by the silence.

"I must land before night, I'm afraid."

Miroku gave a nod. "It's alright, Hachi. You've taken us far enough for today." With a jingle from Miroku's staff, Hachi landed down on the soft forest floor.

"Kagome, do you think that this Inuyasha person will help us?" Shippo asked as he started a simple fire with his kitsune magic. The fire was now the only source of warmth that the hunters had. Sighing, Kagome shrugged.

"I don't really know. I guess it depends on who he trusts."

"Why do you think that?"

"Shippo, do you know what a hanyou really is?"

He shook his head. "Not really. I've never seen one."

"Then it's time to tell you. Hanyou people are different from ningen and youkai, as you know. It's even a miracle that they exist, because of the mixing of the two species. Whenever a hanyou child comes to an age, they are tested for any abnormalities that would endanger both races. Most hanyou either look extremely ugly, or they suffer from some sort of psychopathic disorder."

"…So?"

"That means that this Inuyasha might be…a bit messed up in the head. It's hard…when nature does that."

"I still don't understand."

Sango spoke up. "It means that Inuyasha might be a good fellow, but if he thinks like a criminal, he'll act like one, possibly turning on us. That's why hanyou children are usually destroyed at birth."

Shippo's brows furrowed. "I've never heard of this from the youkai point of view."

Miroku shrugged as he took out some dried foods and passed them out. "I've never even heard of deformed or insane hanyou before. Kagome, your view could possibly be a rumor."

"How? You've never seen a hanyou."

He shook his head. "Actually, I know one. He makes the medicines that heal us in battles."

Kagome blinked. "Jinenji? Are you serious?"

"Yes. Although he looks more like the horse youkai of the plains, he is indeed a hanyou. And to be more so, he is one of the kindest out of the conquered villages of Naraku so far." Taking a bite of some dried apple, he continued. "But he's the only one I know. Maybe Inuyasha would resemble more of a dog than a monster."

"…" Kagome said nothing.

"How is the wine, Naraku-sama?"

Swirling it in a crystal glass for a second, Naraku took a small sip. Licking his lips, he took another. "Is this the best you can do, even with the youkai slaves I've given you?"

The small ningen began to shake. "No, no of course not! If it displeases you, I will work them until it is a wine that is tenfold better!" Fear was in his meager voice. Naraku liked fear.

"Tenfold?" His red eyes looked at the wine-seller.

"A hundredfold! A hundredfold for you, Naraku-sama!" Now the ningen was bowing and groveling at his feet. Ah, the simple pleasures of power.

"A hundredfold, you say? How amusing…bring it to me when it is finished."

"Hai, Naraku-sama!" The ningen ran out as soon as he could. Naraku chuckled as he mentioned for a guard to come close.

"Make sure that ningen's blood is my next drink at tomorrow's dinner." The guard nodded before following the doomed ningen. What fun it was to hold power.

'Hmm…Kagura hasn't even sent a Siamyosho to report back yet…' Naraku wondered. "Kanna, come here."

A child, as white and soulless as a porcelain doll, slowly walked up to Naraku. She was indeed a youkai, for her eyes held it. In her tiny hands was a mirror, reflective and flawless. "Naraku-sama, what is it you wish?" she spoke, her voice calm and spooky.

"Show me where Kagura is." The mirror began to shake and quiver as the reflection of the ruthless lord was then replaced by Kagura's whereabouts. The wind youkai was huddled with dignity under a rock as the storm blew past.

"Kagura, you're wasting my time…" He looked to his side, where two red orbs pulsed with the rhythm of a heart. He grabbed one that was farthest from him and squeezed.

The pain of thousands of red-hot spears went through her chest. Kagura, at one moment fine was now bent over in pain as she clutched at her heart. It was hard to breathe, hard to see, hard to even hear the roar of the rain. Was death now this close? Was this the end of the wind?

As suddenly as the pain had come, it melted away. Naraku's voice then ran through her mind.

"Kagura, I did not send you out expecting to be afraid to get wet. I expect a report on my hunters' whereabouts. Report to me now, or do I have to do this again?"

The pain returned, but it was only for a brief second. "Naraku! What magic is this?"

"Don't you ever wonder why you feel no beat in your chest? I hold your heart in the palm of my hands. You are my servant, and to disobey me is to crush your heart. Now, tell me what I want."

She replied, trying to hold her cursing back. "Apparently, they are a bit slow since the neko was injured. They are taking longer than you expected." Kagura tried her best not to use foul language to one that could end her life at the flick of his wrist.

"Make sure that they don't stop for anything else. Next time, send a report to me by the Siamyosho. Do not make me have to personally contact you again." Naraku's voice left Kagura's mind.

'How am I to become free now?' she wondered as she re-entered the storm and flew off.

Naraku placed the red orb back next to its sibling orb. "Kanna, you are free to go now." He waved his hand as he then picked up the wine glass again.

"Naraku-sama."

It was the guard he had sent out earlier.

"Yes? What do you request of me?"

Getting to his knees, the guard held out a flask with dark stains running down from the lip of the opening. "The blood you required, Naraku-sama."

"Excellent. You are dismissed." Taking the flask, he poured some of the dark liquid into the wine glass, mixing it in with the beverage. He swirled it again in the glass, and took another sip.

"Indeed it is a hundredfold better than before." He smirked before finishing the glass. Ah, the joys of being the master of all.

Ah, I am finally done with this chapter! Now, excuse me as I dance about in sheer happiness…reviews are gratefully used to fuel my inspiration! (hint hint)


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